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Seventy years ago today, Mohammad Ali Jinnah took to the floor of the Constituent Assembly as its first elected president and delivered the iconic lines, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

He added: “We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state.”

Seventy years later, Mr Jinnah’s founding vision and direction for the country have yet to be realised. Indeed, an argument can be made that this nation has drifted further than ever from the one that he had envisioned. The founding father had warned that the “first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the state”, but society itself has fallen prey to extremism and an infrastructure of hate.

Most worryingly, Mr Jinnah’s vision of a secular, constitutional democratic state focused on the welfare and material good of its people has itself fallen victim to hate and distortion. The very word ‘secular’ is considered taboo by large sections of the polity. Democracy, too, is yet to be meaningfully accepted, with elected governments always vulnerable to undemocratic pressure and attack.

What would Mr Jinnah make of the sight of yet another ousted elected prime minister travelling down the fabled GT Road as political uncertainty and turmoil swirl across the political landscape again? Surely, as Mr Jinnah exhorted in his Aug 11 speech, some of the responsibility for the upheaval and drift from the country’s founding ideals lies with the political class too.

Bribery and corruption, black-marketing, nepotism and jobbery — all ills that Mr Jinnah identified as fundamental impediments to a democratic, fair and just society fall in the domain of civilian control. The failure to address fundamental social inequalities is nearly at par with the crimes against democracy the country has suffered. It may take several more decades before a Pakistan more in line with Mr Jinnah’s aspirations can be established.

On DawnNews

Comments (45) Closed

sT

Aug 11, 2017 06:33am

Whar Qaid said and where we stand now, I am ashamed ya Qaid, tears rolled on.

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Varun

Aug 11, 2017 08:01am

Sir, the problem with the greatest leader and the greatest speech is, it was reduced to mere grandstanding, and unconnected to any policy, law or implementation by the same leadership. Where were such great leaders when carnage in direct action to their calls spread all across northern India - just one example.

We have had a sad series of leaders who benefit from poisoning the air we breathe. There are very few heroes here unfortunately.

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Syed F. Hussaini

Aug 11, 2017 08:05am

Mr Jinnah gave us a country and told us his aspirations and in seventy years we failed to bring the country in line with his aspirations and now we aspire and believe it would take us another several decades which would naturally be like the past seven decades before the country gets aligned with its founder's aspirations.

Timing is everything!

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Feroz

Aug 11, 2017 08:40am

All people can pick and choose to hear what they want to. In different speeches Jinnah said what was music to ears depending on the audience. Anyone can pick some other speeches where what was said was contradictory. Secular speech to secular audience, promotion of religion to the core constituency. Have to forget about Jinnah now, what kind of country citizens want today and how they work towards that goal more relevant.

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Talal Virk

Aug 11, 2017 08:57am

I cant stand in-front of my Beloved Prophet (PBUH), for the Muslim I am; I cant face Jinnah, for the kind of Pakistani I am. I am sure if my parents know the true me: I cant catch their eyes for a second for the kinda kid I'm. I am nothing but a class in failure of all sorts, yet not wasting a single moment in self analysis; I am so always on the get set mark to criticize all.
Story of almost all of us !!

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real Indian

Aug 11, 2017 09:26am

Thinking and saying is one thing and walking the talk is another. What is the use of the talk if not backed by action?

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s.khan

Aug 11, 2017 09:46am

Qaid wanted a liberal, progressive pakistan where freedom of conscience is an
important right of all the people. The government should never promote or prefer
a particular religion. Unfortunately, he died too soon leaving the state to be captured
by the right wing extremists with little resistance from the politicians. The results
are obvious. Europeans have learned the lesson of history of religious strife and
totally banished the religion from the state domain and made it a private affair.
The irony is religion hasn't influenced the ethical and moral conduct in
public affairs. It makes sense that the head of the government in the Islamic
republic should be sadiq and ameen. Islam lays emphasis on honesty and integrity.
Amazingly many people are in uproar that a leader has been removed by SC for
not being honest in managing financial affairs, lying about the source of income,
falsifying the documents.

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SATT

Aug 11, 2017 10:54am

One third part of Pakistan flag the white color is for minorities but there is only less than 5 % minorities in Pakistan.

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CSK

Aug 11, 2017 11:49am

You know and I know that it is too late now ! Nothing is going to change ....it should not be worse !!

Better if Pakistan concentrates only on economic development, financial discipline , internal stability and if possible good relationship with neighbouring countries .

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Irfan_Sydney

Aug 11, 2017 12:26pm

The problem is that Beside Quaid's 11th September speech which shows a picture of secular Pakistan, Quaid had also talked about making Pakistan an Islamic State. Those who want secularism refer to his August 11 speech and those who want Pakistan to follow Islamic constitution follow his speeches where he talks about Islamic law to follow.

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random

Aug 11, 2017 12:54pm

Not likely in the immediate or distant future.

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Dr BN Anand

Aug 11, 2017 01:10pm

We here in India recall nostalgically this historic speech of Father of Pakistan Nation in the fond hope that Pakistan would have been a better and more admirable nation rather from now being an exclusively an Islamic country.

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Ghosh

Aug 11, 2017 01:13pm

@Feroz : You are absolutely right !

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Hasan

Aug 11, 2017 01:13pm

Quaid-e-Azam did his job, he gave us Pakistan. He fought all his life to give us that protection, and ultimately, he sacrificed his youth, his health, and ultimately his very life, so that we could call the soil of Pakistan our own. The land is still there, and his spirit is still with us, even now, when it's reduced to a flicker.

For anyone who's caught up in the fashionable trend of dismissing our beloved Quaid-e-Azam nowadays, feel free to take a look across the border and see what life as a south asian Muslim would have been like had it not been for him. Every massacre, every "ghar wapsi" conversion, every lynching, every statement from the ruling extremist party, serves to remind us of what Jinnah did to save us. We have insulted him through our poor governance of the country he gave us, true. But he did all he could for us, and we will never forget.

Pakistan Zindabad

Hasan

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sthf

Aug 11, 2017 01:22pm

Jinnah also said that Hindus & Muslims are two different "nations" who cannot live together.

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cosmopolitan_indian

Aug 11, 2017 02:14pm

How can a country founded on religious grounds be a secular country ? If India is secular and Pakistan is secular then are we dreaming of the partition for last 70 years. We live in a very sad part of the world where 2 people made 2 countries so they can both become president/prime ministers. millions were killed because someone can satisfy their ego

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R Prasad

Aug 11, 2017 02:15pm

Possible to have a verbatim report of the speech? I had listened to the speech and remember it to be more specific on minorities!

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udck

Aug 11, 2017 02:18pm

I am sure the Qaid knew what was to come. In the entire history, there was not a single Islamic state which had a structure which he was proposing. Maybe he just said it to let Pakistan become a reality, then history has played itself, more or less on similar lines to other Muslim majority lands.
But the more important question remains, was Pakistan made because of the Qaid? or was it because of the people who desired it? If the latter is true, then whatever the people of Pakistan want it to be, it shall be that, the Qaid's words can be one of the many voices directing it, but not the only voice for sure.

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ddr

Aug 11, 2017 02:27pm

Public talk is not law, If realy interested should have enected as a law.

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Syed F. Hussaini

Aug 11, 2017 02:32pm

@R Prasad

You must be over 88, Sir.

Please, tell us whatever you remember of the experience of listening to that speech.

Thanks you, Sir!

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Irfan-Sydney

Aug 11, 2017 02:41pm

@Feroz I wrote something similar to what you wrote, but you put it more convincingly.

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Tzaman

Aug 11, 2017 03:47pm

The great leader was not allowed to give a constitution to the country. The then leaders of Muslim League were unprepared and ineffective. Their folly is the results which we are going through since 70 years.

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Umair

Aug 11, 2017 04:16pm

Can someone please explain to me why did we separate from India if we wanted to a secular democracy?

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ukumar

Aug 11, 2017 04:41pm

@Umair Personal ambitions

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Pranita

Aug 11, 2017 04:49pm

@Feroz well said.

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Anonymous

Aug 11, 2017 04:57pm

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state.” -- Looks like Mr. Jinnah's vision was for today's India, we are what Mr. Jinnah was envisioning for Pakistan.

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Ashraf

Aug 11, 2017 05:07pm

Its sad , how far we have come from the ideals under which we were united as a nation.

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Pranita

Aug 11, 2017 05:09pm

@Umair excellent question!

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Dheeraj

Aug 11, 2017 05:54pm

Millions were killed during the creation of Pakistan. To see what that nation has made of itself at that human cost would be a true measure of how great a visionary Mr. Jinnah was.

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Mohammed Karim

Aug 11, 2017 06:40pm

A secular Pakistan based on democratic Institution!

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Hashmi

Aug 11, 2017 07:32pm

Had we followed Jinnah's vision we would have made a better Pakistan loved by every one.

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pc

Aug 11, 2017 07:42pm

If he really wanted a secular Pakistan then what was the logic behind partition on religious ground.Action speaks louder than word.

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Tariq Qureshi

Aug 11, 2017 09:46pm

'India' was to be a secular country. Pakistan was to be a 'Muslim' country. Right from the outset. Why are you people hell bent on distorting history!

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observer

Aug 11, 2017 10:16pm

Qaids vocabulary bank was strog enough that if he intended to use the word secularism then he would have mentioned that. The problem is that the secular mindset is another extreme in our country. religion labled extremism is as poisonous, as secularism is. We are an Islamic country and all the mentioned phrases from Quaid's speech is nothing but core Islamic values. It's your lack of knowledge of the true Islamic values that makes you think that Qaid is referring to secularism. Promoting sacularism by criticising the other extreme will be just another form of extreme.

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kasar

Aug 12, 2017 12:39am

Quaid-e-azam never used the term of secularism in any of his speeches. All he used to describe as the purpose of Pakistan's creation was to carve out a piece of land where muslims could live their lives according to Islamic teachings. What he referred to in his speech of 11th of August was religious tollerence and certainly not secularism as he never used this term anywhere.

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nmantri

Aug 12, 2017 12:44am

His one "Direct Action " day is proof of the man. Please, enough said ! What remains to be seen is if more radicals come to power in Pakistan how will they reduce his image knowing his predilections ?

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Mudasir

Aug 12, 2017 12:47am

@Feroz Could you please add a reference where he talks about Islamic law? I recommend to read things here and there, you will do much good to yourself and your country!

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KP

Aug 12, 2017 03:42am

@Irfan_Sydney
That is precisely what Feroz blogged.

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Gautam

Aug 12, 2017 05:01am

His vision was that hindus and muslims can't live together.

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Goutham Konduru

Aug 12, 2017 05:51am

Nothing is too late to follow the speech delivered by the great leader of your country. Ultimately, people of the country should know what to do where they will be if they do that. Pakistan can be the greatest country if they do the right things and the right time.

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Ramesh K. Sharma

Aug 12, 2017 06:34am

@Umair Excellent question but you wont get an answer.

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SM

Aug 12, 2017 08:57am

Quote from :jinnah's speech in 1940: Hindus and Muslims are two different civilizations ... they neither intermarry nor interdine together ...to yoke together two such nations must lead to growing discontent and final destruction .... for the government of such a state

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naim

Aug 12, 2017 09:00am

The Quaid was a true democrat, and knew the true meaning of religion. He was against patriarchal society which unfortunately had dominated our religious interpretation since the time that our religion had been taken over by dynastic rather than the original elected caliphate. Unquestioned subjugation to authority was included by the dictatorial trends. The Quaid knew very well the history and transformation of our religion since the loss of true, representative caliphate. The Quaid had in his mind a genuine, democratic, and social welfare operant society with equality of people of all colour and creed and free from coercion. But the tragedy is that our country's polity was seized by foreigners who gave it a fundamental, authoritative direction for the sake of their own interests in this region. The result has been total backwardness, ignorance, poverty, domination of coercive forces for our people. We need a thorough reformation of all systems and our distorted bureaucracy.

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S Chaudhury

Aug 12, 2017 07:06pm

Truly great words. Presently missing in Pakistan society.

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Ejaz

Aug 13, 2017 03:55am

@Varun It all degenerated into an orgy of plunder and carnage, while these "great" leaders fanned the flames and lined their pockets. There was no Washington, Franklin, Hamilton or Lincoln in the leadership of the Muslim League, and barely any in the INC.